Holiday DUI Crackdown Starts Tonight

And cops are all too willing to give you a DUI if you've been naughty. It comes with nearly $16,000 in costs, the Auto Club of Southern California estimates. So you'll be enjoying that gift for months.

Authorities across the state are launching their annual holiday drunk-driving crackdown.

"As we celebrate this holiday season with family and friends, it’s important to remind everyone to drive responsibly and not to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs," says state Sen. Tony Mendoza. "I look forward to helping the Highway Patrol and local law enforcement spread this critical message."

L.A. Weekly staff writer Dennis Romero has worked on staff at several magazines and newspapers, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Los Angeles Times, where he participated in Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the L.A. riots. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone online, the Guardian, and, as a young stringer, the New York Times.